Sophia Cossins

well, there are a lot of things to consider. Megapixels is the very last question you should answer. you also need to consider what kind of photography you do or will plan to do. if telephoto is in your future, Olympus DSLRs will probably be your best bet, since the 2x crop factor helps out on the long end. however, if you want ultra-wide angle, a Nikon, Pentax, Sony, or Canon will help you get there since the frame crop is only ~1.6x. if you don’t understand this, it basically means if you put a 50mm lens on an olympus, you’ll end up with a picture that looks like a 100mm lens on a 35mm camera. a lot of people say its bs, but it helps to keep a standard for describing a lens.

probably one of the most important things to consider though, is how the camera feels and how you interact with it. IMO, Olympus’ E-410/420 is the best starter camera for girls, simply because of its size. other cameras tend to be a bit bigger and heavier and if you’ve got small hands, then it can really just get on your nerves because you can’t reach any of the buttons. also, I think olympus’ interface is really nice. I haven’t used the newer canons, but I know the XTi just has a craptastic menu system. I would really encourage you to go to a camera store and hold as many different cameras as you can and press all the buttons and try all the features, and try to narrow your list down to a few cameras. then, go to dpreview.com and see what they have to say about each, and then from your judgement of another’s opinion against your own, decide on what you want. and then go buy it on ebay, cuz you’ll save a ton of money buying it used, or even new but old stock. then, go spend that money on a good lens.

but, as a breakdown for what you might want to ask for if you’re talking to someone at ritz, calumet, etc:
1. manufacturers’ lens quality. the lens makes the picture, right after the photographer frames it. no matter how good the subject and composition, a crap lens is a crap lens and can potentially ruin amazing shots. many people agree that Olympus makes the best glass for lower-end lenses, but the nicer the lens gets, it gets harder to distinguish between companies. IMO, I think that Olympus and Nikon make the best glass. I’ve just never been that impressed with Canon images straight out of the camera, unless you get into old film cameras, and it’s hard to be unimpressed with film sometimes.
2. high ISO performance. this is important for night shots, concert shots, anything with low light. noise can ruin shots unless you know how to get rid of it.
3. image stabilization- in body or in-lens? which is better? personally I think in-body is better since it can be used with every lens, and it doesn’t make lenses $200 more.
4. live view: neccessary or not? I think its a gimmick to get point and shoot buyers into the SLR market, but it does have its uses sometimes.
5. don’t even ask about megapixels, they’re so unimportant compared to everything else. also, remember that whoever you talk to is trying to sell you something. they will spout half-truths and sometimes outright lies to get you to buy something sometimes.

cost is also probably a concern, so like I said, buy used. you can find amazing cameras that will produce jaw dropping pictures that aren’t the latest and greatest. some great cameras you could go with that are dirt cheap now that their replacements are out: pentax K10D, Olympus E-500, E-330, E-510, E-410, E-1, Nikon D70, D70s, D80, D200, D2h, Canon XTi, 30D, 40D.

but seriously, unless you totally have a thing for supporting a local camera shop, buy something on ebay, but make sure you get the warranty with it if it’s still a new camera. it’s better to recycle though, right?